OAMARU NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, August 6.

Otago Witness, Issue 2630, 10 August 1904, Page 32

OAMARU NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, August 6.

The Waifcaki Acclimatisation Society Las intimated its willingness to aid the North Otago A. and P. Association in its efforts to promote an entry from. Waitaki for the county bay competition at the next x, medin winter show.

Since Thursday afternoon the weather has been much, milder, and the snow is now rapidly disappearing. While the fall delayed farming operations eome'what, it has been welcomed by the community, and if warm weather follows the country will be rather better than worse off for the events of the week.

A butcher was -fined 20s and costs (£419s) at Kutovr on Friday for selling the meat of a cow in an advanced state of picgnancy, which, according to "The Slaughtering and Inspection Act, 1900," is "diseased meat " The case is of importance to butchers.

August 8.

The Rev. Dr Nisbet, of First Church, Dunedin, conducted the sei'vices in St. Paul's Church en Sunday. His fresh, vigorous style ot speech held the close attention of two laige congregations. Tiiis evening he delivered his Uumoious Scotch recital " Queer Folk i' the Shaws " to an audience that filled the Wear Street Hall. Opportunity was taken at tho same time by Ihe ladies of the congregation to present a gown to their pastor, the Rev. R. J. Porter, amid a demonstration that proved the •esteem in which Mr Porter is held and his wide popularity among the members of his church and throughout the community.

A meeting was held at Windsor this evening, which was attended by about 40 settlers on tho Government settlements of Elderslie and Windsor Park, at which the subject of optional freehold for the leasehold settlers was discussed at length. An amendment that the settlers should be permitted, if they could, to pay off the capital value of their sections to, say, one-half, wa» defeated, and a motion was carried affirming that it was undesirable that a charge should be made in riie tenure upon which Crown tenants held their lands.

The programme for the North Of ago Jockey Club's spring meeting has been framed on an oxceptionaliy liberal soale, £675 being offered in stakes, as agaiast £555 at the winter meeting and £535 at last spring mteung. The nomination a-ad acceptance fees have also been reduced — a proof that the ciub has now more confidence in the success of its operations than for *ome years past.

The Kurow correspondent of the Mail reports that the recent fall of snow on the south side of tne Waitaki River was very light, but on the north side ralh&r heavier, and several stock-owners have been compelled to feed their sheep. This will no doubt last only a short time as a thaw haa set in.

For three days Oamaru has enjoyed much milder weather, but the snow still lies fairly thick on the hill faces where the sun's raya do not strike with much warmth.

At Timaru on Saturday afternoon a disagreeable hoax was perpetrated on Captain Kiddle and the officers of the .«.s. Kaipara, aiid on many Timaru people. Some person with a distorted sense of humour placarded a prominent building on Saturday afternoon with an invitation Irom Captain Kiddle to the public to vieit his ship on Sunday afternoon to inspect some curios of the South African war. The effect of the notification was that a large number of persons visited the ship as desired, only to find that they had been hoaxed, and the captain and crew put to much inconvenience and annoyance in consequence^